Sixty Minute Connection
by maryeemeeh
Summary: Two different and opposing SPD Rangers are captured and trapped in a room with only minutes away to live. OneShot fic. SkyZ


**A/N:** One-Shot Fic. I'm putting my other stories on hold due to a writer's block. lol. So yeah! I'll be writing One-Shot fics until I come up with more ideas for my other stories. This story takes place right after _Missing_. Enjoy and don't forget to review.

* * *

"**Sixty Minute Connection"**

Dr. Katherine Manx is working on an experiment in her laboratory when suddenly the computer sends in a warning which spotted Krybots wandering on the grounds of New Tech City. Kat Manx immediately warns Commander Cruger as he calls forth the B-Squad to take care of it. As soon as Jack, Sky, Bridge, Z, and Syd arrived at the scene they immediately took on the Krybots but then were later being outnumbered as more appeared with Morgana and Orangehead's assistance. "You just had to crash our party." Morgana's voice was cold and dreadful.

"No one invited you." Z retorts back. "Come on, guys!"

"Yeah!" Bridge and Syd worked together to take on the Krybots single-handedly while Sky and Z teamed up to go against the evil Morgana, and Jack dealing with Orangehead. The team begins to be overpowered by the strength of Grumm's army as they were sent flying in the air and towards the ground.

"UGHH!" Jack grunted out of mere frustration as he and the rest of the group struggles to get up. "They're too strong!" Morgana laughs evilly as Jack pulls himself up and immediately takes out his morpher in desperation. "Time for plan B. Ready, guys!"

The others stood up with him and nodded. "Ready!" They shouted in unison.

"SPD, Emergency!"

"Is that all you got!" Morgana yells at their way.

"Actually…no."

"SWAT Mode! Special weapons and tactics!"

Morgana glares at them scornfully. "Oh, I'm so scared!" She blurts out in sarcasm.

"Yeah, you should be!" Sky points out.

"Oh please! Stop showing off. Krybots, attack!"

Jack turns to the others, furthering his plan. "We should split. Bridge and Syd, you guys follow Orangehead. Sky and Z, take care of Morgana. I'll handle the Krybots. By the looks of it, they'll be sending in more."

"Got it!" Sky turns to Z. "Let's go!"

"Ready?"

Syd shifts her gaze over to Bridge and nodded. "You know it!"

As the rangers went to their separate ways, Sky and Z chased after Morgana but as soon as they turned at the corner, she was no longer seen. "Hey! Where did she go!" Cadet Delgado wonders as they motioned in circles.

"No clue."

"She couldn't have gone that far."

Momentarily, Morgana appeared from behind as she kicked the yellow SPD ranger on the back, sending her flying towards Sky as they collided and fell on the ground. Morgana stood up and looked down on them with her cold and shrilling laugh. "Pathetic. You rangers think you have what it takes to defeat me!" She yells out. "You are way out of your league."

"Hiya!" Sky and Z legged sweep her from off the ground. Morgana retaliated as she flipped back up and began blocking every one of their shots. Sky quickly ducks as Morgana swings her arm across while Z hit her right on the stomach with the gun. They both attempted a high kick but Morgana swiftly grabbed both of their legs and tossed them from behind. The fallen rangers then pointed their weapons towards her direction but before they could aim and fire, Morgana suddenly disappeared.

"Hey!" The yellow SPD ranger stood up on her knees. "She got away!"

"She'll be back." Sky reassures her as he helps his ranger teammate up. "Come on, let's help the others."

"Right." She nods. "Okay."

Just then a shadow was cast over them as the blue and yellow SPD rangers look over their shoulders and up. There stood Morgana on the top of a building with a wicked plan in mind. "I'm not done playing yet." She grins quite dreadfully. "Let's play ball shall we?"

Sky scoffs from behind his helmet. "You think a bunch of Krybots are gonna scare us?"

"No, but hundreds plus yours truly would."

Z gasps as a large army of Krybots appeared before them. "Oh my gosh! I'd never seen so many."

"We can do it, Z! Come on."

"You think it's about time we call for help."

"NO! We can do it!"

Z felt concern at the idea of dealing with a hundred versus two situation. "Well…if you say so…" She responds reluctantly.

"Fine." Sky groans. "You think you can't do it then I'll handle them all by myself."

She glares at him. "You still haven't learned anything have you?"

"I'm stubborn, what do you expect?"Suddenly, their morphers beeped. As Z was about to take it out from her vest, Sky stopped her. "Don't. I got this. Now go!"

"But—"

His eyes widen. "Z, watch out!"

* * *

Jack, Bridge, and Syd returned to the academy once Orangehead and the Krybots retreated. When they couldn't get a hold of Sky and Z, they figured they headed back to the academy as well but once they found out from Cruger that they have not yet returned, everyone in the Control Center exchange worried looks.

"Kat, did you get a hold of them?"

"Not yet, Doggie. But according to the morphing grin, they are no longer within the radius it can reach."

"Well, keep looking."

Jack stood in front of Cruger. "Send me to look for them, sir."

"No." He retorts sharply. "I can't afford to lose any of you at this point. For all we know, Grumm could be setting a trap."

"But, sir we can't just leave Sky and Z."

"I've been working on a new project." Dr. Manx intrudes in. "Think of it as a new version of the morphing grid. It can help us find Sky and Z…and maybe even the A-Squad rangers."

"Wow." Syd was in disbelief. "That's awesome."

"How long do you think it will take?" Bridge asks curiously.

"I don't know. I haven't even tested it."

"That's okay." Commander Cruger reassures her. "I'm afraid we're gonna need all your help, Kat."

She nods, "Of course. I'll do whatever I can."

* * *

Cadet Tate's eyes began to slowly flutter as he finds himself laying face down on a cold and hard cement floor. He looks around and spotted Z on the other end of the square; darken and slightly lit room as he rushes over to her. "Z!" Sky kneels down next to her. "Wake up!" Z groans painfully as she struggles to open her eyes. Sky lifts her head up and placed it gently on his leg. "You okay?"

She looks directly at him and then shifts her gaze around the room. "Yeah." She faintly whispers. "But…where are we?"

He weakly smiles in relief, "I don't know. But I think we're locked up in here. There are neither doors nor windows." Sky says as he helps his teammate rise to her feet. "It kinda reminds me of when Bridge told us his story about being locked up in a room, except that the walls began to move."

"Great." Z grunted. "So we're stuck here."

"Yeah." He scoffs. "First I was locked up in a room with Jack…and now you. It sure is my lucky day." Sky stated out of sarcasm.

"Hey." Z stops and beams coldly at him. "I'm not exactly thrilled either."

"This wouldn't have happened if you just left and help the others."

"I wasn't going to leave you out there fighting against a hundred man army." She argues back.

"I already told you. I could have handled it myself without your assistance."

"Ugh!" Z groans out of annoyance. "You are so full of yourself, Sky. I thought you would have changed by now, but I guess not."

"If you would have just listened to me, I wouldn't have to save your butt and be in this predicament. But no, you just had to stay."

"Are you like not aware of the SPD code?"

Sky hesitated to respond. "Whatever. I'm gonna try and get us out of here."

"Without our morphers? How is that gonna help?"

"I'll think of something!" He yells out in frustration when suddenly a beeping sound caught their attention and echoes the room. Sky and Z looked at each other as they follow the sound with their ears. "Is that you?"

"No. You?"

He nods his head. "Nope. I think it's coming from behind the wall."

Sky and Z began investigating. Once they agreed on the spot where they sound came from, they took out a piece of cement that easily came off from the wall and found a timer set in sixty minutes. After another beeping sound, the clock began to go down. Sky and Z exchange looks for they were less than sixty minutes away till the bomb goes off.

"HELP! Help!"

"Shhh!" Sky places his arm around her waist and covers her mouth as he pulls her away from the bomb. ""Shh! Calm down, Z!"

She stops screaming and releases herself from his grasp. "Calm down! You're telling me to calm down when the bomb is ticking away!" He rubs his eyes in aggravation. "Sky, we're gonna be blown up to pieces in less than an hour!"

"We'll figure something out, okay?"

Z places both hands on her waist. "How can you remain calm about this?"

"It's part of training. You must stay calm regardless of the situation. So don't freak out. I'm sure the others will find us."

"Yeah, after we blow up."

Sky rolls his eyes. "Whatever, Z."

* * *

"Sir, you gotta send me out there to find them." Jack reenters the Control Center after a brief moment of waiting. "I feel that if we don't find them in time, something bad is going to happen."

Commander Cruger looks down and sighs. There was no way he could convince them to stay knowing how stubborn Cadet Landors happens to be. "Okay." He finally made up his mind. "But send Cadet Carson and Cadet Drew with you. Take the truck and be careful."

Jack smiles. "Thank you, sir." He exits the room to join the others.

Cruger shifts his gaze over to Dr. Manx. "How are you doing, Kat?"

"Well…I'm trying to activate the program but it's not responding. If only I have some idea where this last wire goes…"

"Keep trying, Kat."

* * *

After struggling to find a way out, Sky and Z lost hope as they sat on the ground of opposite sides of the room—waiting for the calamity that will appear before their very eyes. "How much time do we have?" Sky asks weakly.

"I don't want to know."

He groans. "Z, they will find us. I just know Jack and the others will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because…" Sky trails off in mid-sentenced. "I can just feel it, okay? Not once have SPD failed. We never failed each other, Z."

"But when we were out there, you did. You forgot the importance of teamwork, Sky."

He looks down. "I know…and I'm sorry if I ever let you down."

She averts from his gaze and sighs. "Well…since you're interested we only have half an hour left."

Sky lifted his head up. "I think I liked it better when I didn't know."

"That figures." Z chuckles. "So...what should we do for the last thirty minutes of our lives?"

"I don't know. There's not much to do but sit here and talk."

"You ever thought about the things you wanted to do before you die?"

Sky shook his head "Not really. Now that you mentioned it, I'd always wanted to go to the Bahamas; get a tan and all, maybe do a little bit of surfing that is if I ever learn."

"A tan?" Z questions in disbelief for her amusement. "The Bahamas? Wow, that's the last place I'd imagine you going."

"How so?"

"The first place I thought of is the Military Academy."

Sky laughs. "And that too. I haven't told this to anybody yet but I also wanted to go clubbing one night and party."

"You dance?" Z smirks at the thought.

"Sorta. I mean I do dance, I'm just not very good at it as you are."

"Hmmm…maybe for the next twenty minutes or so I'll show how to dance."

"Sure but right after you tell me the things you want to do before you die." He finds himself sitting right next to Z as she turns away and looks down in embarrassment What?" Sky nudges her shoulder playfully. "Come on, what is it?"

She smiles. "It's stupid."

"Oh come on. I told you what I wanted to do. Now it's your turn."

"Okay." Z hesitates to say any more. She looked at him in intimidation as he grins her way. "First, wipe that smirk off your face. It's hideous." He frowns. "Just kidding."

"Z, you're lagging."

"Alright. Alright." She presses her lips together. "Well…I always wanted to…be in," she trails off nervously, "a beauty pageant." Sky stares at her weirdly for a long moment and burst out in hysteric laughter. "Ugh, I knew you'd laugh."

"I'm sorry." His laughter slowly subsided. "I guess living with Syd has got you getting in the things she's into."

"Not exactly. It's something I've always wanted to do ever since I was a little girl." She wrinkles her nose. "Jack doesn't even know."

"Is there more?"

Z pursed her lips and sighs. "It's embarrassing to say, but I'll say it anyway." Sky listens intently. "Well, I never had my first kiss yet."

His eyes grew larger. "You're serious?"

"Yeah, I know." Z shamefully averts from his gaze. "I'm such a loser."

"No, not at all." Sky reassures her. "I'm just surprised that's all."

"Why?"

"Well…you're strong, kind, open-minded…" He begins trailing off with his words, "and also beautiful." She looks up at him. "How can a guy not see that in you?"

"Because I don't have those things."

"Yes, you do." He stares deeply into her eyes. "Because I see those qualities in you."

* * *

Jack, Bridge, and Syd arrived at the same place as they got off of their vehicles and began searching the area.

"You think they're still here?" Syd questions while motioning in circles with her vision scanner on.

Jack takes out his navigator. "They have to be."

"That's not gonna work." Bridge says as Jack shuts it down and sighs. "I've tried."

Cadet Landors groans as he takes out his morpher. "Hey, Kat. We need your help. How's it going with the experiment?"

"I'm almost finished, Jack. I just need to access the program and download." Kat Manx types furiously on the computer and waits. "There! Finally, I got it!"

"Awesome!" Syd cheers excitedly.

"Totally!" Bridge adds.

"Good work, Kat." Commander Cruger looks on.

"I got their coordinates and location, Jack."

"Thanks, Kat. You rock!" Jack puts his morpher away. "Come on, guys."

* * *

"We have three minutes left." Z reminds Sky as the clock continues to tick down. "What should we do now?"

Sky leans back uncomfortably against the wall. "There's not much we can do now, Z."

She frowns. "It sucks that our wishes will no longer come true. But I appreciate you opening up to me. At least now I can die knowing something about you."

He studies her face carefully and smiles. "The least we can do is make one of our wishes come true for the last two minutes now."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Okay?"

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

Sky groans impatiently. "Just do it before I regret it."

"Okay, fine." Z slowly shuts her eyes as she was told to. "There." Sky looks over at the clock with only a minute left till the bomb goes off. He deeply sighs and turns his gaze back at Z. After a brief second, Sky leans forward and plants a small kiss on her lips. They parted as Z opens her eyes wide in shock. "What was that for?"

He smiles and awkwardly blushes in return. "I wanted you to have your first kiss before we go. And I didn't do it just to make your wish come true, but because I wanted to ask you out for awhile now but I didn't have the nerve to ask." He stares at the clock from the corner of his eyes. "And since we only got thirty seconds left, there's no possible way I can get us out of here and take you out to a nice dinner." Z smiles in awed as he catches his breath and continues, "I want you to know that you're a great friend and I'm lucky to have the privilege to work with you. I think you're smart, funny, and beautiful." He pauses and takes another look at the clock. "There's so much I want to say with only fifteen seconds left. I'm sorry I've been a real jerk to you."

"It's okay." She reassures him. "You're a great guy." They look at the clock with only ten seconds left. "We may die…but at least we die together right?

He smiles. "Right."

They held onto each other real close as they joined hands in prayer. Sky and Z prayed silently among themselves as they reach the five-second mark. "I never got the chance to say goodbye." Z thought about Kat Manx, Cruger, and the other members of B-Squad. The two securely shut their eyes when all of a sudden an explosion went off. Sky covered Z as the wall crumbled apart, sending rocks and gravel falling on top of them. As soon as several explosions shake the earth, Sky looked up and found that the clock stopped at one second. "Are we dead yet?" Z uncovers her eyes as Sky released herself from the gravel and rocks that fell on her.

"I don't think so…"

Sky looks through the gigantic hole that was created by the explosion when suddenly Jack, Bridge, and Syd entered the room through it. Z immediately got up and embraced Jack in joy. "Oh it's great to see you, guys!" She stood back and looks at them. "What took you so long!"

"Sorry, it took awhile to find you guys. I knew something was wrong."

Sky pats Jack on the shoulder. "Thanks, man. I owe you one."

"No problem. I'll always have your back."

"So…" Syd faces Z as soon as they shared a warm hug. "Along in a room with Sky…" She thought mischievously. "It was dreadful wasn't it?"

Z turns her gaze over to Sky and winks. "Oh yeah." As B-Squad began making their exit and heading towards the vehicles, the guys fell behind on the way as Sky quickened his pace towards Z's direction. As soon as he was walking side by side with her, he leans foreword in her ear and whispers, "You owe me a date."

She looks over her shoulder and smirks. "You owe me a dance."

**_THE END_**


End file.
